Saturday, December 22, 2012

Rum Bum Racing will build on the team's 2012 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship with a debut campaign in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, competing in the Rolex Series GT Class with an Audi R8 GRAND-AM.

Rum Bum Racing driver and team manager Matt Plumb will be joined by Audi Sport drivers Frank Biela, Christopher Haase and GT1 World Champion Markus Winkelhock in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM as the Rolex Sports Car Series opens the 2013 season at Daytona International Speedway on January 26. Bolstering the Rum Bum Racing effort, Audi Sport customer racing will provide engineering and parts support as needed.

Team owner Luis Bacardi developed Rum Bum Racing as an organization that was capable of success at any level of competition. The Joe Varde-led group has a strong record of results at the famed Daytona International Speedway, which is located just an hour northeast of the team's Orlando-based race shop.

The group burst onto the GRAND-AM scene with a victory at Daytona in their 2010 debut and then followed up that effort by claiming the Daytona pole and a repeat win in 2011. Rum Bum finished fifth in last year's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event held ahead of the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 as the team initiated a Championship-winning season.

"Mr. Bacardi and the rest of the Rum Bum Racing team are thrilled to be entering Rolex Series GT competition with a winning brand like Audi," offered Plumb. "They are globally recognized for excellence on and off the track and clearly know what it takes to win."

Having led the race in his first-ever Daytona Prototype start, Plumb has seven Rolex 24 At Daytona starts to his credit, and is very much looking forward to his eighth. As he helps Rum Bum Racing transition to an even bigger stage, he is quick to credit Audi for their program.

"Audi Sport customer racing has been a pleasure to deal with and has gone out of their way to ensure we have everything that we need to be competitive," said Plumb. "They gave me the opportunity to get some laps in the car, and I was very impressed. It is clear that they have done a tremendous amount of development on the Audi R8 GRAND-AM, and I can't wait to be behind the wheel again at the Roar."

Audi saw endurance racing success last year having won the 12-hour Bathurst, Australia race as well as the 24-hour races held at the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder.

The 2013 GRAND-AM season will kick off with a three-day test held January 4-6 in preparation for the 24 hour race at the end of the month. Rum Bum Racing will announce additional facets of the team's 2013 racing program in the new year.